


Winter Winds

by Tigernach



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Cousin Incest, Creepy Petyr Baelish, Daenerys And Petyr Team Up, F/M, Falling In Love, I don't know what I'm doing, Manipulative Petyr Baelish, Minor Violence, Not Beta Read, Not Daenerys Targaryen friendly, Possible smut, Sibling Bonding, Slow Burn, Stark Sibling Team Up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23386207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tigernach/pseuds/Tigernach
Summary: A King of Winter will RiseA Queen of Fire and Blood will FallDaughters of Winter will find their placesMockingbird Beware the Wolves HowlFor Winter has Come and She calls to her Children
Relationships: Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> AN: So I would like to thank LadyAlice101 for encouraging me to write this. Decided to write my own story and change some things around, because I've always wondered what would have happened if Petyr Baelish and Daenerys could have had the chance to have gone up against the Stark Pack. Put in some Jonsa as well and just maybe we have a story. Also, I apologize in advance if there are grammar and spelling issues.

The torches of the crypt do not illuminate very well and it makes it so very easy to hide in the darkened corners. She almost feels like Arya would have when she was younger and when she would sneak around. This is how Sansa catches herself stumbling upon a conversation with Jon and Daenerys. They’re standing between her father’s and Aunt Lyanne’s statues, with Sansa hiding behind a dead Stark's tomb to the left of Jon's shoulder. 

She doesn’t want to see any of this. She doesn’t mean to intrude, but knows she won't be able to make it to the entrance of the crypts without being caught, getting caught by the Dragon Queen and Jon is not something she wants right now. There is a dark, torturous part of her that wants to know how far their relationship truly goes.

She’s barely talked to Jon since his return. She’s been busy. From managing rations, to making sure that there is a place for everyone from the Vale Knights, to the Northern Lords and to the Dragon Queen’s forces. Her tasks keep her busy well before the sun rises and well into the dark of night.

If she’s being honest with herself she’s still quite mad at him for bending the knee to this foreign Queen. Giving away the North, giving away their home after they fought and bleed to see the North free from Ramsey’s rule, has caused something to splinter between the two. Whether it was for the North or for love, she is still not sure, but she does understand the need for more assistance against the Others. It’s another reason that she has sent a raven to the Neck, to Lord Reed. Surely if her father was right about the man, that he is loyal to House Stark, then he will answer the call. As an afterthought, maybe she should send a raven to her Uncle Edmure, in the Riverlands, to see if he could bring their remaining forces or what’s left of it anyways.

It is the lack of conversation that brings Sansa out of her thoughts. They are still facing each other and standing only a hand’s breadth away and the silver haired Queen is looking at Jon in a longing way. Her younger self would have said that it’s terribly romantic.

“You cannot tell your family!” She all, but hisses. Sansa can tell she is digging the tips of her nails into Jon's upper arms, even with the heavy cloak and leather, Jon still winces. The sight of it conjures images of dragon claws digging into their prey. Sansa bristles at the very thought. 

"They're my family. I’ll not hide this from them." There is a pleading, quiver in his voice, that Sansa can pick up on. Daenerys seems to not be phased by it and her hands tighten their grip. Her nail’s digging deeper.

What has she missed? She feels a fool. She's apparently missed something. Something very important if the critical way that Daenerys is looking at Jon is to go by. There is tension between the two now. 

“If your sister finds out, she will use this information against me... against us.” She corrects herself. There is a long beat of silence before Jon replies.

“Sansa is family. She would never betray me. I trust her and she I." Jon tries to soothe her. 

Sansa feels an ache in her chest. Jon’s words bring an overwhelming warmth that she hasn't felt in a long time. Jon's absolute trust in her almost brings tears to her eyes. She holds them back, now is not the time to let these tears fall, she tells herself.

"Lord Balish is her constant companion, is he not? From what I've seen he has her ear and she his. I can barely find one without the other." There is a hint of wariness to her voice, but before Jon has time to even respond she is continuing.

"I have also been warned against interacting with that man by both Varys and Tyrion. They were surprised to see him here of all places. They say he's apparently not trustworthy and yet your sister has him with her everywhere she goes, does she not? " 

Sansa knows that Jon was not happy upon seeing Lord Baelish still in Winterfell, but her plans have changed. Bran had asked her to stay her hand on the matter of Lord Balish, at the time. He had claimed that they still needed him alive. That he plays an important role, a role that wasn’t explained and the only person who knew how the man worked was her. So, she has continued to have the man in her home, by her side. She remembers Arya having a fit over that conversation, but due to the distance that has been put between her and Jon, whether on purpose or not, she hasn’t had time to inform him. 

“Sansa knows how to handle Baelish, she can keep her secrets. He will never be the wiser.” Jon is pleading now. There is a pause before Daenerys responds.

“The only way that this works out in our favor is if you tell no one. Not your family! Not your Lords! No one! Do you hear me! No one can know that you are the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. I forbid it as your Queen! Do you understand me!” She’s commanding him. Sansa can see Jon wincing with how rough Daenerys is being.

Sansa puts a hand to her mouth to keep the gasp from escaping.To be found now will surely bring down the dragon’s fury. Thoughts are swirling faster than she can keep up with. Her heart is hammering away in her chest. Her breath is coming in short and fast, chest heaving hard. She has to turn away so that she can gather her thoughts. Thoughts that her father lied not just to her mother, but to her and her siblings. Thoughts that her honorable father lied to his friend, King Robert. That her father lied to all of Westeros. Her honorable father lied to protect an innocent babe. She only wishes that her father had had the courage to tell her mother. 

By the time she has gathered herself, Jon has yet to speak. There is no sound, but the echoes of the words that have been harshly flung about by Daenerys. Daenerys relaxes her hands and brings them up so that they frame his face. She brings his head down and kisses him for a moment. Jon is stiff, but it doesn’t seem like Daenerys even acknowledges it. Just as quick, she is releasing him and turning away to make her exit. 

Sansa inwardly sighes, she doesn’t know how much longer she could have waited before she did something that would have given herself away, like interrupted that little show of power by the Queen. Sansa has been through enough situations to know when someone is showing the person that they have the upper hand. She will not let Jon go through that if she can help it, but if she had revealed herself then it could have been bad, at worse it could have gotten them both killed. She will have to be ready with a plan for when Jon brings this up with her, if he decides to.

“You can come out now.”

Jon’s voice is hard and like frozen steel. It freezes Sansa to her very bones, making her blood run colder than ice. She had though she had been so careful to not make a sound and she had tried to hide as best she could. She halfway tempts the idea of not showing herself and trying to move between the shadows, but she knows there is no way of getting around Jon. Maybe if she was Arya, but she’s not.

“I will not ask again..show yourself.” If possible his voice has gotten harsher and colder. 

He’s not looking in her direction. He’s facing Aunt Lyanna’s tomb now, or his mother's tomb she should think. Her heart is racing and she knows that she is going to have to face him. She can do this, Jon is her bro..her cousin if the words are to be believed. Jon is her family. He'd never do anything to cause physical harm. 

Taking a deep breath through her nose she straightens herself out. Running her hands down her dress to smooth imaginary wrinkles out of it. Patting off any dirt and dust. She brushes her braid behind her back and straightening her shoulders she steps out and around from the tomb. She makes her way over to where Jon is standing. 

When she is standing next to him he turns slightly and she can see that he is surprised by the half step he takes back, along with the slack jawed expression. He wasn’t expecting her. She can tell, but now that she has revealed herself she can almost see a furious light to his eyes. A shiver runs down her spin at that fire. It almost makes her take a step back, but she will not back down from this, from him, from Jon.

“Sansa...” Her name is the only thing that she will let him say before she is fully turning to him.

“You’re a Stark.” Her voice is steady and sure. It doesn't matter who spawned him, his mother was a Stark and that is the only thing that matters to her. If she has to spend the rest of her days reaffirming that to him, by the Old Gods and New, she will.

The silence between them is thicker than anything she has ever felt. Even when they would argue before he left for Dragonstone or when they had argued the night before the battle with Ramsey. This feels different. 

Jon looks like he’s about to either shatter or weep and she wants to help him through this in any way she can. She just is not sure how though. She knows her words haven’t quite reached him. As she stands before Jon she can see things she has missed. 

For the first time since his return she can see that Jon isn’t doing very well. He’s got dark circles under his eyes, like he hasn’t gotten a good night's rest in a while. He’s paler than she’s ever remembered him being, even with the poor light. His shoulders are hunched as if to shield himself and not for the first time she wonders what exactly happened on that Gods forsaken island. She does notice that he still wears the cloak that she made for him all those months ago. It gives her the courage to speak.

“Jon?”

“Do yo..”

They start at the same time and she’s halfway tempted to just let him continue so that she can hear his voice. Gods, has she missed his northern brogue, she’s missed him. With a longing that comes out of nowhere she realizes that she has needed him by her side since his departure.

“Go ahead.” 

Jon straightens as if he’s preparing himself for battle. As if he senses that what she’s about to say is going to lead to harsh truths. Truths that as far as Sansa is concerned are nonexistent. It's just whether she can get Jon to believe them. Like before she feels this need to protect him, he is her pack and Starks protect their own. 

“Is it true then, what you were both talking about?” She’s not sure why this is what she leads with. She can tell that he wasn’t expecting the question either. Her eyes never leave Jon’s face so when his face morphs into something like he’s tasted something rather foul she knows the answer to her question before he even speaks.

“Aye. Sam and Bran both told me after the welcoming feast.” 

She’s a little surprised. That was at least two days ago and yet he hadn’t mentioned anything. Bran hadn’t mentioned anything to her either, but then why would he. This is something that Jon has clearly needed to deal with himself and if the way Jon is looking right now, he clearly hasn’t done a very good job of it. She tells herself she shouldn’t feel hurt, but she is.

“Were you ever going to tell me..us? Aray and I?” Sansa tries to work the words around the lump that has formed in her throat, that make the words hard to get out. She has a feeling of what his answer is going to be.

“Eventually, when the time was right.” 

“But not before her.''As the words leave her mouth she knows they are not the right ones to say, if the tick in Jon’s jaw is any indication.

“If she had found out by any other way she would have thought I’d known from the beginning and that would have caused more problems.” He’s pacing back and forth from one statue to the other. His body racked with tension.

“Not like she hasn’t already brought problems with her.” She hisses the words out without a thought. Her anger is getting the best of her. 

“Don’t start, not now...please.” Jon comes to a halt, pinching the bridge of his nose as if to ward off a headache. 

It’s the please, and the way that he looks so defeated that has her pausing. She doesn't want to fight with him, she really doesn’t. Not after what she’s just witnessed and realizing that they have much bigger problems now. They need to be strong and not just for what’s to come with the Others, but what’s to come after. Jon needs her.

She takes a deep breath and takes a few steps towards Jon. He gives her a weary look as she comes closer. She smiles and takes his forearm in her hand and brings it down to rest at his side. She brings her hands up to dust off his shoulders, runs her hands through the fur that rests at his shoulders and brings her hands to rest at the straps that cross at his chest. Her hands run over the Stark sigil. 

She stares at the emblem and meets his eyes. This close and she can feel the heat coming from his body and a shiver that has nothing to do with the cold runs down her spine. She tries not to let it show, but she’s not sure if she’s hidden it well enough. She pushes the thought down, now is not the time for that.

“You are a Stark, you will always be one Jon. No Dragon Queen will ever be able to take that from you. Do you hear me?” She puts force behind the words. She wants Jon to understand.

The tears are there in the corner of his eyes, but he keeps them from falling. He’s breathing hard and she can feel his breath on her checks. Dark brown meets blue and for a second she thinks that she might kiss Jon and there is a part of her that wouldn’t mind that, but before she can think too much about that thought the doors to crypt are creaking open loudly. 

It gives her enough time to take a few steps back and she looks away from Jon. She can feel heat on her checks and knows she is blushing. Her heart is beating fast again and she worries for a moment that it might just beat out of her chest. She glances at Jon and notices that the back of his neck has turned red and she wonders if he too is blushing or embarrassed at the situation. Embarrassed that his half-sister turned cousin might have just kissed him. Gods what was she thinking, but before she can contemplate that thought anymore she is brought out of her thought by Sam greeting them at the bottom of the stairs.

“Your Gra..” Sam stops when he sees Sansa standing there with Jon. Eyes widening red flush covering his cheeks as though he ran from wherever he came from. She can tell that he wasn’t expecting her, but before he can say anything Jon is speaking.

“It’s fine Sam, Sansa knows.”

“Oh. Well then, I thought you were going to tell the Dragon Queen?” 

“Aye, she knows too.” 

“Oh…”

There is an awkward pause, no one seems to know what to do. Sansa should leave, but she can’t seem to get her feet to move. She doesn’t want to leave Jon right yet, but isn’t quite sure what to do. The silence is broken when Sam finds his words.

“A rider from the South has arrived and I'm pretty sure Jaime Lannister has arrived.” 

“A single rider?” Sansa is questioning.

“Yes, My Lady. Just one.” The sigh that leaves her chest is all she needs to put herself back into the Lady of Winterfell. She can already imagine the chaos this is going to cause if she doesn’t get ahead of it now. Hopefully Lord Balish hasn’t gotten wind of this yet and just maybe she can keep the Dragon Queen from demanding blood. Sansa can already tell that her patience is going to be tested in the next few hours.

“Thank you, Sam.” 

With a stiff nod Sam retreats from the crypts, Jon and Sansa are once again alone. The tension that once was seems to have dissipated, although she can still feel its lingering effects, it's not as high as it once was. She wants to make sure that Jon will be alright before she goes, but she doesn’t know how to go about asking. It’s Jon who makes the first move. He comes to stand in front of her.

“Thank you, Sansa.” His words are gruff, low and sweet. With that said he brings his hand to the back of her neck to tilt her head forward and kisses her temple and her eyes close in bliss. He lingers for a few long moments before he is pulling away and walking to the exit.

When she is sure she is alone she walks to the statue of her Aunt Lyanna, stares directly at her and makes a promise.

“I’ll protect him. He is my pack and I will fight for him with my very last breath.” After a few moments of silence she turns to leave and prepare for the upcoming wars, for winter has come and she calls to her children.

Nobody is there to see when the statue begins to cry tears of blood.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for everyone's interest in the fic. Here's Chapter 2. Hope you enjoy.

Sansa heaved a sigh as she sat back from her ledgers. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she tried to ward off an oncoming headache that she knew wouldn't let up, even with sleep. The stresses of trying to ration food, warm clothes, blankets, armor, weapons to the small folks and the accumulating armies to fight the Others was causing tension in the back of her head, and it didn't even include food for the damn dragons.

The earlier meeting with The Northern Lord's, The Valemen, and Daenerys should have gone better than what it had, but with withering comments and heated words it had soon devolved into shouting. If it hadn’t been for Jaime Lannister being brought in, at her request, Sansa had feared retaliation from the Dragon Queen. Even then it had taken Jon and Tyrion agreeing with her to stay the Queens hand. Playing peacekeeper to this dragon wasn’t making things any easier and now that she knew what she was looking at she could see the strain that it had put on Jon. Was she happy about this undue stress that had been put on him. No, but if the man had just asked for help in the beginning then just maybe they could have come up with a strategy together. Ugh, she’s thinking in circles now and that’s not making her headache any better and she hadn’t even wanted to think about what Lord Baelish had thought about the earlier gathering.

That man had sat in the back of the Great Hall and smiled as everything had started to spiral out of control. She needs to spend time with him so she can get a better idea of what he’s thinking. Sansa cringes at the thought. It sets her teeth on edge every time she’s with him and even though they have talked it out she knows Arya gives her suspicious looks when she is with him. She knows it puts tension on both of them, but Sansa has to concede that it helps her when dealing with Baelish. It at the very least lets him assume that there is still tension between her and Arya when there is none.

Before, she can think too much more on the North’s ever growing list of problems there is a scratching noise on her door. Sansa smiles as she recognizes the noise. Ghost must be back from hunting. He’s been her constant companion since Jon left. To her shock he hasn’t left her side to go back to Jon, not since his return. She knows he’s spent time with Jon, but he always returns to her side at night. It brings a comfort to her that she at least has some part of Jon with her.

When she stands to make her way to the door to let the wolf in she does not expect to find Jon on the other side. He stands in the doorway as Ghost makes his way to his place by the fireplace. They haven’t really talked since they were in the crypts and when she sees him around the castle during the day he’s either with the Dragon Queen or checking on the progress of the preparations for the ensuing war. The silence that follows is riddled with uneasiness. It takes Sansa a few moments to remember her manners before she bids Jon to come in. He makes his way to his chair by the fire, the seat he’d taken before he left. She soon follows to her chair and waits. If Jon has come to her then surely he has something of importance to discuss.  
There are several more minutes of quietness that has Sansa almost fidgeting in her spot, before Jon even says anything.

“He seems to have found himself a warm spot to lay.” Jon nods to the wolf. 

“It’s been his spot since you left. On occasion I'll allow him on my bed, he helps keep me warm.” She knows there is a smile on her face. Ghost, if anything makes her happy to talk about.

“You spoil him too much.” Is Jon’s only reply.

“He deserves to be spoiled.” Sansa smiles at Jon and turns toward the fire. She knows this isn’t the reason for his visit. She'll give him his time.

Her chambers fall silent as she waits for Jon to bring up the reason why he’s here in the first place. This is the most interaction that they have had since his return from the South, baring the time in the crypts. She wants to know if he’s doing any better than what he was, but she doesn’t want to cause anymore stress. 

“You were right.” It’s whispered so softly that she thinks she hasn’t heard it at all. She turns from the fire to look at him. He’s not looking at her, but at the ground.

“You were right about everything. I shouldn’t have left the North and I shouldn’t have left you. It’s been one problem after another.” Jon rubs at his beard and mouth. There is a small part of her that feels vindicated about the whole thing, but one look at Jon and she knows it has cost him a great deal. 

“Jon, you went so that we could have allies, so that we could have a fighting chance.” She tries to placate.

“No, Sansa you don’t understand.” Jon all but stands and begins to pace the length of her solar. He’s aggravated.

Sansa can feel her own anger rise to the surface. She’s tired of holding it back, she’s tired of being taken advantage of, she’s tired of not meeting the expectations of her sister, and she’s tired of being put down because she’s a woman. If anything it’s her that is owed an explanation from Jon. He’s done nothing to help her since his return.

“Then tell me, Jon! Tell me so that I might be able to understand. Because while you were away I was here placating our Lords and Baelish. I held them off when they tried to replace you, with me. I can’t help unless you tell me what I’m missing.” She stands, pleading the last part, but her chest is heaving with her anger. She can feel her cheeks hot with it and she feels tears in the corner of her eyes. She refuses to let them fall.

His pacing has stopped and he's just staring at her like he’s never seen her before. By all accounts he’s seen her when she’s been angry with him before, but this is different. She can tell, her stomach is fluttering or maybe she’s reading too much into it. He makes his way back to his chair and takes his seat. Sansa gives it a moment and then she takes her own seat as well. She assesses Jon from her seat. His right leg is slightly bouncing and his jaw has a tic in it.

“I don’t even know where to begin.”

“At the beginning is usually the best place.” She knows she is being curt with him, but she needs him to understand that she is not going to let this go. If she has to force this information out of him she will.

He nods and for a long moment there is silence again. Her hands that rest in her lap start to twitch and she wishes she had some sewing that she could do while she waits for Jon to find his thoughts.

“When we reached Dragonstone it was made quite obvious that we were not going to be leaving anytime soon. They took our boat and our weapons. We were prisoners on that Godforsaken island, even though it was never stated as such. When we did meet with Daenerys she demanded that I kneel to her, saying that she was the rightful ruler of the seven Kingdoms, by birth. I refused every time. Every time we butted heads I always thought it was going to be my last. It took Tyrion and Davos both trying to bring us to some kind of sense and then we would do it all over again…”

Sansa listens with quiet interest not wanting to miss anything. If Jon can tell her everything that happened on that island then maybe she can work a strategy out. Then just maybe they will have a chance or they will end up dead. Which at this point she’s not sure which is worse. Dying to the Others or being burned alive. She won't give up until she has a plan, that much she does know. 

“It was after Tyrion and Daenerys returned from the Reach that we got a raven from Cersei saying that she would entertain the summit, but Tyrion said that without proof Cersei would never believe what we said was true. So, Tyrion suggested that we get proof of the Others to take with us. I was hesitant, but he insisted. That's how with a few good men we found ourselves on the other side of the Wall...”

She sees Jon take a moment to gather his thoughts before he continues. She wants to tell him how incredibly stupid it was to go beyond the Wall again, but she holds her tongue. She has a vague feeling that Jon did indeed know the danger he was putting himself in. She has to think of how desperate he was to even consider it.

“It took us some time to find the what we were look for, but when we did we realized it was a trap and before we knew it we were surrounded. For the second time I saw the Knight King and I realized that I was going to die...”

Jon looks so defeated to her she almost doesn’t recognize him. She can't imagine just what went through his head at the time.

“In the end Daenerys came with her dragons and rescued us, while in the process she lost a dragon. I wasn’t so lucky. I ended falling through the ice at some point. It wasn’t until I was pulled from the water by Uncle Benjen and was on his horse that I realized I was still alive. I must have passed out at some point because the next thing I knew I was waking up on a ship heading South to the summit with an undead in tow.” Jon shifts in his seat to lean forward to rest his elbows on his knees and rest his head on his interlocked hands. He lets out a sigh.

“After seeing exactly what she saw she still refused to help the North unless I gave her what she wanted. I knew then that no matter what I did she would never help us unless I gave her what she wanted. It wasn’t until Tyrion even brought it to my attention that I even considered thinking about seducing her. It’s why I declared myself to her at the summit, to try and make it seem like I had some sort of affection for her. It’s why I slept with her in the first place. It’s why I gave myself to her and still do.” His tone is bitter and sullen as he confesses to her, he bows his head and runs his hands through his hair.

The emotions that run through her are all over the place, that she’s not even sure what to latch onto first. She’s upset that Jon was held captive on Dragonstone, went beyond the Wall on an undead hunt, and that he slept with Daenerys. She shouldn’t be bothered by the last bit, but there is a part of her that is. It doesn’t help that Lord Baelish’s words of how fine a pair they would make runs through mind. She gives her head a shake and concentrates. Now all she has to do is to think of a way to use the information that has been given to her, which is going to take time. 

Who manipulated whom, indeed.

There is a smile on her face until she realizes something. She stands so abruptly that the force of it pushes her chair backwards, that it causes a horrible screeching sound on the wood. She starts pacing in front of the fire. It causes Ghost’s head to rise and follow her with his red eyes. Jon watches her as he sits, he’s got a bewildered look on his face, she’s sure she has taken him by surprise.

“You said Tyrion was the one to suggest that you go beyond the Wall for proof of the undead?”

“Yes, Tyrion said that it would be the only way to get Cersei’s support and it would also increase my chances of obtaining Daenerys’s aid. Why?” His words are rough and deep. As he looks at her she can tell that he’s taken aback by her abruptness, but really not only did Tyrion put Jon’s life at risk he could have put the whole of the North in disorder with the simple death of it’s King.

Unless that’s what he wanted! 

Because really what better way to take something, then when it’s in chaos. The sudden thought has her stumbling forward only to be caught by Jon who has stood quickly enough to catch her before she falls completely. She’s in his arms, this close she can smell his scent. A mixture of sweat, leather, and woods that is so Jon that she has to hold herself back from leaning forward and taking a bigger sniff.

“Sansa?” He’s caught her with his hands at her waist and she can feel the heat of him through her thick dress. She hasn’t fully straightened herself so when she completely shifts her weight down, Jon goes down with her. He’s got a worried look on his face. She’s sure she has taken him by surprise, but for the life of her she can’t seem to make her body move.

“Sansa, please say something, you’re starting to worry me.” It takes her a second longer to gather her thoughts, but when she does she can feel the heat on her checks from her simmering anger.

“I may be wrong, but I have a sneaking suspicion that when Tyrion sent you beyond the Wall he also meant for you not to return.” As she speaks she looks Jon in the eyes so that he might understand precisely what she means. It seems like it finally clicks because his eyes widen, but before Jon can answer there is a loud knocking on her door before it’s suddenly thrown open and Bran is being pushed in by Arya who as soon as she is clear of the door has turned and shut it with a click that could only be the lock.

When Arya turn’s back around and notices that they are practically on the ground she gives them a look with her eyebrows raised. 

“What are you doing down there?” 

“I tripped on my dress. Jon was good enough to catch me.” Sansa makes a point to not look at Jon as she pushes herself away and up from Jon. He lets her go with ease although there is a hesitant look in his eyes. 

“That's why I wear breaches so that doesn’t happen. Dresses always get in the way.” Aray seems to take Sansa answer for what it is, but she has a feeling that her sister is going to bring it up later.

“Yes, well it’s been a long day and quite the excitement, too. I suppose I’m just drained.”

“That's why we’re here. We have things to discuss. Namely a dragon that has taken up space in our home.” Sansa sighs as she tries to gather herself mentally. She’s not sure she can do this right now. She feels overloaded at the moment.

“Don’t forget the Mockingbird.” Bran’s statement is another weight added to her shoulders.

“Do we really have to do this right now?” It’s Jon, who has answered and with a quick tilt of her head she can see that his eye’s still haven’t left her. He’s looking at her with concern in his eyes. She wonders if she is becoming an open book to him, just like he is for her. 

“If not now then when? You are both busy in the daytime, Sansa with her preparations, you with whatever you do with your Queen, and if what you say is true then we don’t have much time.” Arya all but huffs out. Sansa wants to scoff at her sister, but can tell she’s annoyed with them.

Sansa looks at Jon for only a heartbeat before she turns fully to her sister and brother and studies them both. Although she was ecstatic at their return to Winterfell she has also learned that her younger two siblings are not the same. Just like her and just like Jon. They’ve changed since they departed Winterfell all those years ago. If she could she’d go back in time and make it to where they had never left, but she can’t and they have to deal with what fates given them.

Sansa has had to adjust to the way that her siblings are now. Arya with her ability to blend in and out of places and Bran with his three-eyed-raven powers to see things that nobody should be able to see. They both intimidate her, sometimes. Arya the most, it had taken some time since her return, but she thinks that her sister and her are on the mend. 

“I agree that we need to discuss those two, but first I think something else needs to be said.” Sansa looks up to Jon and she can tell immediately that he knows what she is saying, by the way his eyes widen. She doesn’t want to hurt him anymore then what has already been done, but Arya needs to know. She has an inkling of what Arya’s reaction is going to be and Jon needs to hear it, to help the healing process. 

“Arya needs to know.” She grabs his hand in comfort. It’s all she will say. The rest is up to Jon.

“I need to know what?” She’s looking between the two with guarded curiosity. Jon sighs, rubs the back of his neck. She knows he is just as drained as she is, if not more.

“Sansa’s right, you should tell her.” Bran encourages Jon. It brings Jon’s focus back to wherever his thoughts have gone. It seems it’s also the deciding factor as well. 

It surprises Sansa a bit since after his return her baby brother barely talks to them with any emotion. Either it’s because Bran knows this is hard for Jon, it could also be that Bran is trying to make peace with Jon for delivering the harsh news, or maybe the longer that he is with his family the real Bran is slowly coming back. Sansa doesn't care as long as Bran returns to them.

“Would you stop talking in riddles and just tell me what is going on.” The frustration is bleeding through Arya’s words. Jon takes a moment to look at Sansa and then he turns from her to face Arya. Sighing heavily, Jon tells Arya everything about his true parentage. 

“So it seems that I’m not really your brother or really your half-brother at all.” There is tension in the air that keeps everyone quiet and then Arya is moving fast to fling herself into Jon’s arms.  
There are tears in the corner of Jon's eyes that he’s trying to hold back. It makes Sansa’s heart break all over again, because really all Jon’s life he’s wanted nothing more than to be a true Stark. There is heavy mumbling coming from the center of Jon that nobody can hear. 

“You’ll have to repeat that, I didn’t quite catch what you said.” When Arya pulls back her face is red like she is holding back her own tears.

“I said that you are an idiot for thinking that you would never be my brother.” She’s not shouting it, but her voice is loud. It seems that that is all Jon really needed before he’s crying into the top of her head and holding her tight. It’s enough to have Sansa's own tears falling. 

Sansa chances a glance at her younger brother. His eyes look glossy, but no tears are falling and there is a slight curl of the lips. He catches her staring and for a moment she feels like this illusion will fall apart, but all her brother does is nod at her and she knows that for now everything is good.

“Wait, why was I the only one that needed to be told?” Arya pulls out of Jon’s arms giving him a questioning look.

“Uh..well you see..” Jon’s rubbing at the back of his head and looking bashful.

“Bran and Sam, Jon’s Nightwatch friend, are the ones who found out about his true parentage, they told Jon. He then told Daenerys Targaryen in the crypts, which at the time I was inspecting and happened upon the whole scene.” Sansa can feel her sister’s stare on her as she explains her reasoning. Before she knows it Arya is turning from her to lock eyes on Jon and then she’s striking him in his chest with her fist. It’s enough for him to take a step back.

“What does she mean that you told Daenerys, before us? I thought we were family...pack?” Sansa, from her place by Bran can feel the force of her sister’s anger. Jon looks a little hurt, but really she can’t blame Arya for her anger. She herself felt it when she realized that Jon was going to wait to tell them this sort of news. It had hurt.

“I feared that if I didn’t tell her when I found out about this information she’d have retaliated terribly. We still need her and her dragons. We can’t afford for her to fly off with possibly the only weapons that could stop the Others. ” It is his only reply to Arya’s demands.

“We now know and we can plan accordingly.” Sansa tries to diminish some of the tension with her words, but really she doesn’t know how well it helps. She can see that it takes a bit for Arya to control her emotions, before she is yet again assessing the situation. 

“So, what's the plan? You’re the smartest wolf out of all of us, so let's hear it.” She’s ready to explain what she’s come up with so far, but it is Bran that speaks up.

“We wait.”  
___________________________________________________________________

The soft glow of the fireplace only illuminates half the chamber, which makes it dreadfully hard to see the face of the man that sits a few feet away. Daenerys looks down at her cup and swishes her wine around. She’s been warned against this man by her advisors, since the day they saw him here, in Winterfell. Said that this man was manipulative, cunning, always scheming, and a whole host of other nasty things. Although she has been informed of the dangers, there is something about this man that has her intrigued. To have both of her advisors so nervous, it has piqued the dragon's curiosity.

She’s been in Winterfell for a while now and she has noticed that he spends most, if not all of his time with the Lady of Winterfell, whispering in her ear no doubt. It worries her that Jon hasn’t taken her warnings seriously about his sister possibly plotting against them. Just because Sansa is his sister doesn't mean that she isn’t plotting to try and get rid of Jon, just look at what happened to Viserys. 

What little information Tyrion and Varys have been able to gather, it seems that the Lady of Winterfell is quite upset with Jon. She’s not sure why. Jon did the right thing by bending the knee to the rightful ruler of the seven kingdoms. Nevertheless, if Lady Sansa is so terribly unsatisfied with her brother, it might just lead to her trying to remove Jon. She can’t have that. Looking at the man in front of her she wonders. Maybe, just maybe she can use this man to her advantage and if he decides to cross her then she can let her dragons have him. 

“Why, if anything, should I trust you?” It takes a moment for her guest to gather his thoughts before he answers. She can tell even with the shadows covering his face, he's trying to keep his smirk down. 

“Simple, I can help you get what you want most.” She can barely keep her laugh contained.

“I can give myself what I want most. All it takes is my dragons.” This man must be truly simple if he thinks she can’t take what she wants when she wants. Who would oppose a Queen with dragons.

“Your Majesty, what you want is the absolute power that comes from the Iron Throne.” His reply strikes something at her very core. 

“Doesn’t that power come with obtaining the Throne?”

“To obtain the Iron Throne you must show these foolish Northern Lords and the rest of Westeros your full potential. Then and only then will they fall to their knees.” His words speak to her on a level that not even Tyrion or Varys have been able to reach.

Daernerys leans forward to rest her wine cup on the table that’s between the two. “You know for the first time in a long time your words ring true in me. If Varys and Tyrion had it their way I’d be a docile as a common cat.” 

“They want you docile so that they can rule through you.”

“They wouldn’t dare!” Is her outburst.

“Not in such a way that you would notice. Maybe they would do it in a way that would have you agreeing to their way of thinking and making it seem like you thought it all on your own.”

There is silence as the words sink in. She can feel her anger just below the surface wanting to soar and burn. She stands from her chair and walks to the fireplace to stand before it, almost losing herself to the flames that dance around the logs. She hears the rustling of clothing as she suspects that her visitor has gotten up from where he sits. Turning she sees her guest and has to wonder what he’s thinking. She wants to know.

“What would have me do then?” It takes a moment, but he finally replies.

“Wait, watch, and when the time is right strike down those who do not see you as the powerful individual that you are and do it in such a way that no one will ever forget.” The words spoken have a fire that reaches her very own. She likes them so much she can’t help not to smile, but when she looks at this man that stands before her she has to wonder what it is that he himself wants.

“And what do you want most of all?” If she is going to be in the presents of this man then she needs to know his motivations.

“Why only to serve the true Queen of the seven kingdoms and see her rise above all else, of course.” He’s words are humble and meek.

“Surely, there must be something you want. I do try and reward those that come into my service.” With Daenerys’s words hanging in the air she can see the smile that comes across his face as he steps closer to her and out of the shadows. 

“Sansa Stark.” Are words uttered by Lord Balish.

Smiling Daenerys doesn’t have to think long before she is giving her answer.  
___________________________________________________________________

It is the soft steps that she has come to notice as Quburn’s that bring Cersei out of her thoughts. A dangerous concept that is these days. She gives a slight chuckle at that and continues to stare out at the bay from her window. 

“Yes?”

“A message has arrived, your Grace.” 

“And?”

“All it says is Mockingbird.” There is a pause before Cersei turns fully to Quburn with a smile that he hasn’t seen on his Graces face in a long while. It brings a shiver down his spine, that he tries to subdue it.

“Perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some sneaking around on a lot of peoples part and I wonder where its going to lead.


End file.
